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C. I'. SPARKS.

STEAM ENGINE.

CHARLES F. SPARKS,

ATENT rrrcn.

OF ALTON, ILLINOIS.

STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,877', dated July 20, 1897. I Application filed February 10, 1896. Serial No. 578,697. (No model.)

l To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. SPARKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alton, inthe county of Madison and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Steam-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates, chiefly, to improvements in engines in which a rotary movement is imparted to the main shaft by the longitudinal movements of a plurality of pistons; and the objects of my improvement are, first, to produce an engine which will be simple and durable and not liable to get out of order; second, to reduce friction; third, to provide an improved cut-off valve and governor, and, fourth, to combine said Valve and governor with an engine of the class above mentioned. I attain these objects by mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Y Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section on line l l, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a vertical crosssection on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. Sis a vertical cross-section on line 3 3, Fig. 1. a vertical section of a detail on line i 4, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section on line 5 5, Fig. l, looking inward. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-section on line 6 6, Fig. l, looking inward. Fig. 7 is a section of a detail on line 7 7, Fig. 6; and Fig. Sis a detailed view in elevation of a modification of the cut-olf mechanism represented in other figures.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A represents a cylinder casting having formed therein a series of cylinders a, a2, a3, and a4.

The cylinders are preferably four in number, but any number from two up may be used. They are preferably regularly arranged around the shaft hereinafter mentioned at equal distances therefrom and with their axes parallel with the axis of the shaft.

Each cylinder is provided with a piston a5, whose outer end is preferably reduced at a, and the extreme point of the outer end of each is preferably conical, as shown. These pistons are preferably made hollow for the sake of lightness, are closed at the inner end, and each is preferably provided with a drain- Fig. 4 is the one to which the cylinder-head is attached.

D is the main shaft of the engine. [It

4passes through the housing C and cylindercasting A and is supported and revolves in a bearing d, supported by the housing C, and a bearing d', formed in the cylinder-casting A. Its inner end d2 is preferably reduced in diameter, and the reduced portion passes through the cylinder-head A and preferably extends into the steam-chest B.

E represents acircular head rigidly securedr y Its face e is inclined and con-v to the shaft D. tains au annular groove e', within which a ring e2, having a concave face, preferably rests. Vithin the groove e and resting upon the ring e2 a series of rolls e3 are arranged.

E represents an antifriction-rin g whose inner face preferably contains an annular groove e4, into which the rolls e3 extend when said ant-ifriction-ring is in place. The ring E rests on an inwardly-extending shoulder e5 of the head E, and a plate e, attached to said head, preferably assists in keeping said ring in place. Against the back of the ring E the inclined faces of the piston-points bear.

The back of the head E rests against an antifriction-ring e6, surrounding the shaft D. The face of this ring contains an annular concave groove e7, and it faces a similar ring es, whose face contains an annular concave groove e9 and whose back rests against the inside of the housing C. Within the grooves e7 and e9 of the rings es and e8 a series of rolls el@ are arranged, and to the rim of the 4ring e8 an inwardly-projecting band e11 is preferably attached, within which the ring c is free to move.

ICO

To the inner end d2 of the shaft D the hub F of a steam-valve Fl is attached by means of a feather f, wl1ich,while causing said steamvalve to revolve with the shaft, permits it to move longitudinally thereon and seat firmly against the back of the cylinder-head.

The valve F' is preferably circular. It is preferably composed of a central circular por`- tion f', which alone preferably seats against the cylinder-head and a rim f2, Whose inner edge is preferably raised above the outer face of the central portion f of the valve. The central portion f of this valve is pierced by a stea1n-portf3, preferably segmental in form, A

as shown, and long enough, exclusive of the part occupied by the cut-off valve-lip, hereinafter mentioned, to register with each of the cylinder-ports aT during as large a portion of the stroke of the piston in the cylinder with which the port connects as is ever neccssary in practice.

The outer end of the hub F is preferably provided with a removable head f4. (Shown attached to the hubby means of a screw f5.) To this head f4 a coiled spring f, which surrounds the huh F, is attached. The inner end of this spring is attached to pinion g, which in turn is attached to a cutoff valve Gr, preferablysegmental in shape. This valve rests against the face of the central portion f of the steam-valve F and moves between the hub F and the rim f2. Its forward edge is preferably provided with an inwardly-projecting flange g4, entering and extending across the main-valve port f3 and preferably resting against the main-valve seat. It limits the movement of the cut-off valve and also prevents steam from passing back under the cutoff valve to a cylinder-port, with which the portion of the valve-port not covered by the cnt-off valve has ceased to register.

The cut-olf valve is operated by means of a governor attached to the steam-valve and revolving with it. rlhis governor preferably consists of two segmental gears g' g', pivotally attached to the steam-Valve at opposite points g2 g2 and meshing with said pinion g and each provided with a heavy arm or weight g3. Vhen the shaft D revolves and the steam-valve is caused to revolve with it, centrifugal force tends to cause said arms g3 to fly outward and, by communicating motion through the segment-gears g to the pinion g, so move the cut-off valve G as to partially cut off the steam. This'tendency is opposed by the coiled spring f6, attached to the steam-valve hub and the pinion attached to the cut-off valve which the governor-gears engage. The tendency of this spring is to cause the pinion to so revolve as to open the valve-port to the Widest extent and at the same time draw the arms g3 inward. By properly proportionin g the weight of the arms g3 and the strength and tension of the spring the speed of the engine Vmay be kept constant and steam economized.

The valve and governor represented in Fig.

8 are the substantial equivalents of the cutoff` valve and governor represented in the other figures. In the modification, H represents a circular cut-off valve which is provided with a steam-port h. h 7L represent pins projecting from the face of the valve. II/ II represent weighted arms pivotally attached to the steam-valve at opposite points h3 h3, and h4 h4inwardly-projecting arms rigidly attached to the arms I-I/ H' and having near the outer end of each a slot h5. These arms 71 h4 are connected with the cut-off valve by means of the pins 7L h', each of which eX- tends into the slot of one of said arms. The Weighted arms I-I H are connected together by the coiled spring H2. The operation of this valve and governor is substantially the same as that of the preferred form.

The operation of Iny engine is as follows: Steam being admitted to the steam chest passes through the steam-valve port and the cylinder port or ports which then register with the valve-port, and this produces a forward movement of the piston or pistons within the cylinders to which steam is thus admitted. The pistons forced forward press against the antifriction-ring E and cause the headE beneath it and the shaft D to which said head is attached to revolve. It revolves with said shaft and its steam-port is thus brought into communication with the different cylinderports consecutively. If the speed increases beyond the desired point, the governor causes the cut-off valve to narrow the main-valve port, and in this Way a uniform speed is maintained. As each piston in its turn reaches the upper part of the friction-ring it passes far enough forward to leave open the exhaustport of its cylinder7 and the steam behind it then escapes through such port and allows it to return to its original position, to which it is forced back by the continued motion of the head E. Vhen so forced back, the piston closes the exhaust-port of its cylinder, and thus acts as a valve.

I have described forms of mechanism which I deem the best, but do not wish to have my claims confined thereto. I desire to cover all equivalents and to secure the underlying ideas broadly.

I claiml. In an engine the combination of a shaft; a head attached to the shaft having an inclined face; an annular groove in its face; a series of rolls in the groove; an antifrictionring containing an annular groove Within which said rolls extend, and back of said head and between it and a stationary rest a pair of grooved antifriction-rings surrounding said shaft and a series of rolls between said rings and resting in their grooves substantially as described.

2. In an engine a series of parallel stationary cylinders arranged around an axis and each having an exhaust-port 5 apiston in each cylinder; a revoluble shaft; ahead having an inclined face in front of said pistons, receiv- IOO IIO

ing pressure from Jthe pistons and forced to revolve thereby; cylinder steam ports; a main valve closing said ports having a steamport through it, and connected with said shaft and revolved by it; cut-off valve on said main valve; governor-Weights pivotally attached to the .main valve, means for transmitting motion from one or both Weights to the cuto valve; and means tending to hold the cutolif valve open and opposing the outWard movement of the governor-Weights.

3. The combination in a steam-engine, of a main shaft; means causing it to rotate; a disk-valve pierced by a steam-port in the shape of a segment, connected with said main shaft; a segmental cut-off valve seated on the disk-valve; a spring connecting said valves and tending to hold said cut-off valve open; a pair of governor-Weights; means pivotally connecting said Weights to the main valve so as to cause them to be supported thereby and rotate therewith; and means connecting said Weights to said cut-ofi' valve, substantially as described.

et. In a steam-engine having a plurality of cylinders and steam-admission ports; a mainvalve seat; a shaft; means causing the shaft to revolve When the engine is in motion; the main valve F having a central circular part 3o f' seated on said seat, and pierced by a segmentalstean1port f3; a cut-off valve G, seated upon the face of the central part f of the valve F, and having a flange g4 entering and extending across the port f 3 and resting against the main-valve seat; means connecting the valve F to said shaft; and a governor operating said cut-off valve substantially as described.

5. In a steam-engine having a plurality of cylinders and steam-admission ports, a mainvalve sea-t; a shaft; means causing the shaft to revolve When the engine is in motion; the main valve F having a hub F, and a central circular part f', a rim f2, surrounding the part f and a segmental steam-portf3 through the partf, and, seating on said seat; means connecting said valve to said shaft, and causing it to rotate therewith; a segmental cutoff valve G having an inwardly-.projecting iange g4 entering the valve-port f 3, and Which cnt-off Valve rests against the face of the main valve, and moves between the hub F and the rim f2; a pinion g surrounding said hub F and attached to the cut-off valve G; a coiled spring f6 connecting the main valve and the cut-off valve and tending to keep the cut-Off valve open; and a governor operating said cut-oft valve and consisting of tWo gears' g', g', pivotally attacheg to the main valve at opposite points, g2, gzfand meshing in with said pinion g, and each provided With a heavy outer arm g3 substantially as described.

CHARLES F. SPARKQ. Witnesses:

C. D. GREENE,v Jr., BENJ. F. REX. 

